WWE: Why Randy Orton is the Perfect Heel

There are several great heels in WWE today, but Randy Orton remains the ideal heel. Here’s why.

Alright, I’m just going to say it: Randy Orton is the epitome of a perfect heel.

Now, before you all come at me with pitchforks, take a moment to consider this. When was the last time a bad guy in the world of sports entertainment made you feel a rollercoaster of emotions?

I mean true emotions, not go away heat, not “he’s mean”,  but actual rage, pity, confusion, and sadness. In a matter of minutes on last night’s episode of RAW, the Viper made us feel all of those emotions and many more.

Edge’s return to in-ring action at the 2020 Royal Rumble was, for lack of a better word, momentous. Here is a man who underwent triple neck fusion surgery, and was told if he were to take even one more bump, he could end up paralyzed. So he steps back from the business he loves for nine years, all the while asking “what if?”

It’s a question we all hate, and one he despised so much he had a second surgery and worked so hard to step back into the ring he loved. Nine years after a heart-wrenching retirement in 2011, Edge was able to answer the question of “what if?” and in doing so, reunited with his friend, his brother, his Rated RKO partner Randy Orton in the 2020 Men’s Royal Rumble.

The very next night Edge made his long-awaited return on Monday Night Raw, cutting a heartfelt and emotional promo on what it took for him to be able to step back into the squared circle. He cried which, let’s be real here, meant we all cried.

We had all missed him, and he was back. The feeling was surreal, and then… Randy Orton’s music hit. I don’t know about anyone else, but it felt like all breath left my being. Orton would go on to tell Edge how grateful he is for him, saying that Edge saved his life and welcoming him home. Throughout this exchange, the words “Don’t you dare” and “Please don’t RKO him” were more than likely echoing in the minds of the WWE Universe.  And then he did. All our fears were realized, but something felt off.

The smirk, the look of smug superiority showcased on the Viper’s face in almost every other instance of an RKO out of nowhere, was, well, nowhere to be found. Instead, he looked, Shocked? Confused? Horrified at what he’d just done? He didn’t know how he felt, so how should we? The vicious attack on the Rated R SuperStar wouldn’t end there, as Orton proceeded to do a one-man Con-Chair-To to a man who had had triple neck fusion surgery.

In the following weeks, we all waited for some sort of explanation. Orton would head to the ring looking sad, and dejected, stand in the middle of the ring, and raise the mic to speak, only to drop it and leave the ring, in the same manner, he’d approached it. Every time it looked like he was about to explain his actions, someone would interrupt him, and he was unable to do so. It left us all wondering, why? Why would he do this to a man he called a friend? To a person who he claims saved him from himself?

The answer we all wanted came on the March 2nd episode of Monday Night RAW. In the Main Event segment, Beth Phoenix, Edge’s wife and fellow Hall of Famer was in the Ring about to address the WWE Universe with a medical update on the Rated R Superstar. Similar to the night after the Royal Rumble, as soon as Beth had uttered but a few words, “Voices” echoed in the arena. With the same sad, dejected expression on his face, the Viper approached Beth for a hug, one she vehemently denied to give him. The crestfallen look on his face was enough to indicate signs of delusion, but the promo he cut mere seconds after proved the fact.

Randy proceeded to explain his actions, saying that he did what he did because he loved Edge like a brother, and if he hadn’t viciously attacked the Rated R Superstar, someone else would have. There was a conviction in every word uttered, he truly believed he was saving edge from a worse fate, even going as far as comparing edge to an addict and accusing Beth of enabling him.

As well-intentioned as he might have thought he was, one can’t help but wonder, did the thought of paralyzing his former Rated RKO partner not cross his mind? Was he so obsessed with the thought of protecting his friend, that he was willing to take that risk?

Every question, every emotion that we as an audience have been feeling over the past few weeks were all perfectly displayed on Beth’s face. We hated him, yet we felt pity.  We knew that Randy Orton was capable of betrayal, and yet we were confused by his actions. Watching the angry tears on Beth’s face was almost a reflection of what we as an audience felt, but far more intense. Which made the RKO that followed that much more impactful.

Now, you may wonder why I took you down memory lane, so to speak. I wanted to remind you of every thought that crossed your mind during Randy’s attack on Edge, and the weeks following it. I wanted you to remember every single feeling of disdain and horror, and confusion you experienced.

Do you remember the last time a heel in WWE made you experience all of these emotions? Sure, at some point, we felt one or two of these emotions, but when was the last time you felt a cascade of emotions regarding one man’s actions? Hard to remember, isn’t it?. This is why he is the perfect example of a delusional heel, and why come WrestleMania, we are going to enjoy every single second of Randy getting what’s coming to him.